K-Tribe collects sixth consecutive victory

The Indians completed a four-game sweep of Wilmington, winning their sixth game in a row with a 4-1 victory over the Blue Rocks on Thursday night.

Starting pitcher Scott Lewis gave up no runs and just three hits in four innings of work. Aaron Laffey (1-0), a 20-year-old left-hander, came out of the bullpen to get the win, giving up just one run on three hits in the games final five innings.

The Indians' Brian Pinckney continued his hot start, hitting a solo home run to start the scoring in the third inning. Argenis Reyes drove in Micah Schilling with an RBI single later in the third inning to put the Tribe up 2-0.

In the fourth inning, Ryan Goleski's sacrifice fly plated Trevor Crowe, who led off the inning with a double. Ahead 3-0 in the fifth inning, Brandon Pinckney would score the hard way, reaching first base on a throwing error, and then making it all the way to third after another error on a steal attempt. Armando Camacaro would bring Pinckney home with his first RBI of the year, a single to left field making the score 4-0.

The K-Tribe will welcome Winston-Salem to town for a three-game series starting today. After dropping two in a row to the K-Tribe last weekend, the Warthogs (5-2) have won four straight games. Kinston will enter the series with a one-game lead on the Warthogs for first place in the Carolina League Southern Division.

Game time is 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

NOTES: Entering the game, the top four batters in the Kinston order (Reyes, Finegan, Crowe, Head) were hitting a combined .345 with 21 RBIs and 2 HRs. ... The six game winning streak eclipses the Tribes longest streak from last year (four games). ... K-Tribe Starting Pitchers have giving up just six earned runs in 34 innings pitched this year, striking out 39 batters while only walking five. ... The entire K-Tribe pitching staff has giving up just 12 walks all season (a league low). ... Wilmington ended the four game series 1 for 21 with men in scoring position.

Southern League

Lookouts 4, Mudcats 3

Chattanooga, Tenn. -- Joey Votto scored from second base on a 10th inning Carolina error to push Chattanooga to its third straight win over the Mudcats 4-3 at Bell South Park on Thursday night.

With a 3-2 pitch from reliever Ross Wolf (1-1) coming, Votto and Eric Crozier at first base broke ahead of a hard grounder to second from the bat of Luis Bolivar. Kevin Randel moved toward the middle but couldn't handle it, as the ball rolled a few feet behind him. Votto was waved around third and scored before catcher Patrick Arlis could make the tag to preserve the tie.

International League

Bulls 11, Braves 4

RICHMOND, Va. -- Kevin Witt scored three runs to help Durham break a 4-0 deficit and beat Richmond 11-4 Thursday in the International League.

The Bulls scored all of its runs in the final four innings, including six in the ninth.

Darnell McDonald hit a grand slam to left field in the ninth, and Kevin Cash scored with a two-run triple to cap off the game.

The Braves kept Durham scoreless through five innings, taking a 4-0 lead in the fourth.